High school vandalism still haunts neighborhood

Last September, Rockville High School students once again participated in their annual rite (some RHS students would even say their right) of property destruction along Baltimore Road.

This past year, the level of destruction greatly increased and included extensive graffiti on the neighboring synagogue and residential areas. Five months later, much of the damage is still visible, with the RHS school administration and county taking little action to repair the damage (other than to the synagogue).

If not for the work of GRAB (a non-profit group working to eliminate graffiti) and local residents who took it upon themselves to fix some of the damage, even more graffiti would still be there today.

The RHS administration claimed to area residents that there was little they could do about repairing the damage. The penalty for the students — they were invited to do community service so they could attend homecoming (no doubt that community service will show up on future college applications as a noble gesture. Who says crime doesn't pay?).

The remaining graffiti is a daily reminder to the area residents that RHS students are apparently taught by their administration and parents that being a good neighbor is something for others to do.